Best Bike Blog Ever

November 25, 2013

I don’t remember a thing about my near-fatal bike accident on Sunday, Nov. 3. That’s a good
thing, my brain’s way of protecting me from some really bad memories. Thank you brain.

The following is what I do know about that day and the aftermath. My therapists tell me it’s
important to collect and organize my thoughts and get my mind back on track in order to overcome
the lingering effects of my traumatic brain injuries and return to “normal.” Writing is how I cope
with things. It’s my normal. Then again, my normal today is different than it was on Nov. 2.

Also, this is a bike blog, and I want everyone to know all the realities of bike
riding, even the bad ones, and how, even in the midst of something as terrible as this, good things
can happen. The outpouring of support and generosity from my employer (the Dispatch) and
co-workers, as well as my friends and family and the Pelotonia and bike-riding communities of
central Ohio has been amazing, inspiring and also a little humbling. I have no idea how to thank
everyone, but will try.

The accident

I was struck from behind at about 11:45 a.m. by a driver later charged with driving under the
influence.

I was smashed up literally from head to toe. I had a fractured skull and scalp lacerations that
required more than 40 staples and stitches to reattach all the bloody flaps. I had a couple of
facial fractures and my left eye was swollen shut. My jaw didn’t break, but was (and still is)
bruised up pretty bad. I can’t open my mouth all the way and my teeth hurt. The straps on my helmet
dug into my neck, creating a colorful red-and-purple band of bruise. I found scabs behind my ears,
and think these also came from my helmet straps.

As for my helmet, it’s in pieces … and saved my life.

Tip: Never, ever ride without a helmet. Ever.

My left shoulder was broken, seven ribs on the left side were cracked, my left lung collapsed,
and I suffered compression fractures of three vertebrae. My left hip was covered in road rash and
my left ankle was broken.

It seems that after the car hit me, my bike and I started flying backwards, smashing into the
hood, front windshield, the roof and then the rear windshield, breaking body (and bike) parts and
denting the vehicle as we went.

The only injury to my right side was to my right foot, which is covered in scabs and
bruises.

Help arrives

The driver took off, leaving me bleeding and broken by the side of the road, according to the
police.

Seconds later, miraculous things started happening. People in cars stopped to call 911 and to
take care of me. Someone else went after the driver and made him come back to the scene. I don’t
remember any of this, but am convinced these heroes saved my life. One day I hope to thank each and
every one of you in person. Until then: thank you so much.

I was taken to the ICU at Riverside Methodist Hospital and don’t remember anything until
Wednesday afternoon, when I emerged from a medically induced coma.

“You were like a feral animal,” is how my friend Mat described those first couple of days.

I was agitated, disoriented and in pain, and uncomfortable from all the tubes stuck into me.

“You were thrashing about, trying to pull your tubes out,” Mat said, adding that at one point
one of my nurses became so worried I would hurt myself that he told me in no uncertain terms: “
Dude, you have a broken back, lie still.”

I listened and calmed down and did my best to lie still.

The care I received from the doctors, nurses and staff at Riverside was phenomenal. Their
concern and professionalism helped everyone – especially my wife, Susan – deal with what that was
happening.

“You take care of people on the worst days of their lives and help them,” I told one of my
nurses. “That’s amazing.”

Speaking of Susan, her love and support were vital, especially during that terrible first week.
I can’t even imagine how difficult all this must have been for her. Susan slept in a my room
several nights and was always there whenever I needed anything. She was scared and worried, but
never once let me see any of this. Instead, all I saw was her love, patience and caring. I’m a
lucky man.

The first few days

Several people visited me on the Monday and Tuesday right after the accident … and
I can’t remember a single one. Many of these visitors were quite upset when they saw my condition
(especially my face and head), but by Thursday I was feeling and looking better and wasn’t as
scary. Most of the tubes were out, including the one down my throat, which meant I could talk.

“What happened?” was my first question.

“How’s my bike?” was the second.

It was wrecked, the frame broken into several pieces. I haven’t had the heart to take a look
yet.

The steps to recovery

While I was in the hospital, I wrote some notes, to help me remember everything. One section of
notes was devoted to the stages my accident and recovery, which I’m still obviously going through
and revising. Here they are...

*Complete confusion about what just happened.

*The realization about what just happened, where you are and how serious this thing is.

*The aha moment when you realize: “I’m lucky to be alive.” This is a profound moment.

*Anger at the idiot who hit you. Then again, I don’t want anger to take over and dominate my
life, so eventually I will have to let it go. But not yet.

*The inventory: A mental list of all your injuries, prioritizing them by their severity and how
long you think they’ll take to heal.

*Oh wait, there’s more: You find new bruises, scabs and pain in the strangest of places.

*Tubes out: What a relief! They took out my IV, chest tube, breathing tube and a few more. You
start to feel normal.

*Let’s eat. With my breathing tube out, I could talk, swallow, drink and eat. But I didn’t have
much of an appetite and chewing hurt, so I had to take really small bites.

*The bathroom. It’s very important (at least to the staff) for you to have your first
post-accident bowel movement. And they go to great lengths to help this happen, including the
infamous bedpan. Let’s just say the bedpan and I did not get along very well, which was all the
incentive I needed to get up, out of bed and learn how to walk to the bathroom.

*At some point, modesty flies out the window and you don’t care who sees you naked, who bathes
your private parts or who helps you clean up after you go to the bathroom.

*Cravings: I started craving gelatin and diet Dr. Pepper. I don’t usually drink soda, but saw
someone sipping a diet Dr. Pepper – and had to have some. Soon after, I started craving meat.
Perhaps my body needed meat to help with the healing process. My sister and her husband brought a
giant box of Swedish fish … and I couldn’t stop eating them, even though it hurt my teeth and jaw.
Then I went through a sherbet phase. Raspberry was my favorite flavor.

*Walking. It’s also important to get up and out of bed and start moving around, as best your
injuries allow. My first walk was only a few feet, I felt dizzy at first and was exhausted by the
time I got back to my bed. Two days later, I was able to walk out of my room and into the hallway.
A day later I did a lap around the floor.

*Card reading: A daily highlight was opening and reading all the new cards I received (with help
from Susan, who had to help me open the envelopes). A very high percentage of the cards featured
cats doing something silly.

*Reconnecting: Your first post-accident FaceBook post is always a big step. And a way to let
people know how you’re doing and to say thank you.

*my mission: After realizing the severity of my injuries and the fact that I’m lucky to be
alive, I started thinking about whether or not I would ever ride my bike again. Cycling has been a
huge part of my life for 20-plus years, but I can’t go through this again. Plus, it’s going to be
really scary to get back out on the road again. Forget it, it’s not worth it. I can’t put myself or
Susan through this again. Then again, a lot of people seem to be counting on me to ride again. I
need to be strong for them. And I love riding. It’s who I am. I finally decided I’ll most likely
ride again, but not for a few months, in the spring when everything is healed up. And I won’t be
riding for me, which would be selfish. Instead, I’ll be riding for everyone else, all the other
cyclists in central Ohio and beyond. Something good has to come out of this terrible accident, and
that good will be us raising awareness for biking and bike safety and helping bikers and drivers
better understand how to share the road so that everyone is safe and nobody has to go through what
I’m going through. I’m not sure exactly how I’ll do this, but I’ve been mulling over a lot of ideas
and taking notes, and will recruit the Dispatch and all its resources and talented people to help.
I’ll also reach out to the Pelotonia and bike-riding communities, which means you! Together, we can
make biking safer. Together, we can turn this into something positive.

November 21, 2013

Good news on bike blogger and Dispatch reporter Steve Wartenberg, who was seriously injured
early this month in a hit-skip accident while on his bike. He has returned home after his
hospitalization and a week of rehab, and continues to improve. (He says he's particularly happy to
have the staples out of his scalp!)

He and his wife, Susan Cunningham, express their thanks for the outpouring of good wishes and
support. They welcome messages via their Facebook pages.

In addition, the account established for Steve at Huntington Bank remains active. Donations to
help with medical and other costs can be sent to Huntington Bank, 17 S. High St., Columbus, OH
43215. Write "Steve Wartenberg Fund" on the envelope and on the check as the person payable.

November 03, 2013

Steve Wartenberg, the author of this blog and an avid cyclist, was struck and injured by a car
today while riding in Upper Arlington.

He was in critical condition at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital.

Wartenberg, 55, a Dispatch business reporter, was hit at about 11:44 a.m. on McCoy Road near
Kenny Road. He hit the windshield of the car before landing on the pavement. His helmet and bicycle
were in pieces, said his wife, Susan Cunningham.

“I’m sure his helmet saved his life,” she said.

Upper Arlington Police Sgt. Glenn Willer said Wartenberg was eastbound on McCoy Road when he
was struck from behind just west of Kenny Road by a vehicle driven by Andrew Scott Inglis, who also
was eastbound on McCoy.

Willer said Inglis, 30, fled the scene and was captured a few minutes later. He has been
cited for drunk driving and fleeing the scene, Willer said.

Cunningham said police told her some witnesses ran to help Wartenberg while others chased
down the car and driver that had struck him.

Wartenberg has been riding for more than 20 years, his wife said. “Anything to do with biking
in Columbus he’s familiar with.”

Wartenberg, a Columbus resident, has been the captain of the newspaper’s Pelotonia team for
the past two years.